


The Strays

by PrinceWinter



Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Backstory dump essentially, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 06:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceWinter/pseuds/PrinceWinter
Summary: The story of a mirror named Muse, exalted as a hatchling.What ever happened to those children sent to war?(The backstory of my clan's leader)





	The Strays

Some often wonder what happens to exalted hatchlings.

Muse was born to a traveling band of merchants, all mirrors just like herself. She knew little of her true family, however, for at a young age she was 'exalted'. What a fancy word for drafting one's child off to war.

Barely old enough to read or speak full sentences, she was sent off to battle against the twisted monsters of the Shade. She was thrust into many bloody, gruesome battles, where she was pushed to her limits simply to survive. This hardship made her strong, but cold.

In her teenage years, she had enough of the constant struggle, and fled the army, returning to her homeland. She barely remembered The Scarred Wasteland, but she always considered it her true home. She dreamt of fuzzy images of reddened soil and cities of bones each night, between battles, and she yearned for her freedom.

She was pursued as she ran, of course. Pursued by her former comrades, tormented for being a 'deserter'. She was on the run for weeks as she made the trek across Sornieth. The journey was unforgiving and grueling, but no matter the hardship, she refused to give up. Part of her expected to be pursued until she finally turned around to fight, but...

When she crossed the border into the wasteland, she was shocked to see that she was no longer being followed. The dragons sent to pursue her were afraid. Despite technically serving under the Plaguebringer herself, they were mostly dragons from other flights, raised on lies about the horrid existence that was life in the wasteland. They were scared of the disease, the rotting, the cutthroat lifestyle... and so they gave up.

They all figured she would die anyways.

It was then that Muse learned of the saying 'Come to Plague and you'll be free'. Regardless of what you were running from, very few would dare follow a runaway into the wastelands. Survival was tough, and perhaps it'd be the land itself that killed you instead of your pursuers, but if you were desperate enough... it was a tempting option.

Muse went to Plague, for she wanted to be free.

\--

Exhausted and wounded, Muse wandered the Abiding Boneyard as a loner for some time, before settling down in a small village near one of the few proper water sources in the wastelands. She built her own lair, filling it with her meager hoard and finally managing to rest.

It was around this time she met Sirocco. He was a young Guardian, around the same age as her, who had recently lost his first and only charge. It was his little sister, a tundra, who had unfortunately been killed by a particularly aggressive Mirror named Arid. It had been a fair fight, not a murder, but Sirocco felt the pain of failure all the same.

Muse was prickly at first, not at all interested in having a 'protector'. Her personality had hardened, now she was independent and sharp-tongued, with no interest in having someone else do the fighting for her. Unfortunately... instincts are often hard to control, and whether she liked it or not, Sirocco took her in as his charge. Eventually, she accepted him, as long as they could fight side-by-side instead of him fighting alone.

The village--which was named Foal's Throat Pass--was in an unfortunately precarious spot. Being both small and also near a precious resource like water made it a very vulnerable place to live. Thankfully, the dragons who inhabited the village were fighters, but even they couldn't handle the droves of bandits, beastclan rebels, and rival clans attacking them.

Many times, the villagers considered simply conceding and finding another home, but Muse had different plans.

Muse was tired of running.

She rallied the villagers, announcing that she would be founding her own clan. None of the residents of the village would be required to join, but all of them would be under her clan's protection. She knew what it was like to be an outcast, or a runaway, and so she founded her clan on one idea: second chances. Those who could not find a home anywhere else would be welcome here.

A particularly mouthy villager mocked her for this, claiming 'you'll just gather a bunch of strays', and other things along those lines. At first, Muse felt anger boil within her, but she forced it to quell, and pulled a smirk to her lips.

And so, she named her clan 'The Strays'. They would be warriors, defenders, and peace-keepers for Foal's Throat and the surrounding territory. Though reminding everyone that nobody was obligated to join, she opened the opportunity for any interested villagers to be her first clanmates.

Sirocco was... unsurprisingly the first. Not only was Muse his charge, but the idea of protecting his home appealed to him greatly. Though she had once regarded him as just some thick-headed brute, Muse found herself slowly growing fond of her new partner.

After Sirocco, three villagers stood to volunteer. The first was a quiet Imperial named Rosales. He was a Shadow dragon who left his home for reasons he never fully disclosed to anyone, but was well-liked. While most Imperials are known for being egotistical and vain, Rosales was very humble, with a strong code of morals and honor.

Then, there was a gentle Tundra named Luna. She was not a fighter by any means... but she loved her home, and the dragons who lived in it, so she steeled her courage and joined the newly born clan of warriors.

But she wasn't joining alone. Luna's mate, a pearlcatcher named Kanon, refused to let her go so easily, and joined alongside her. She was a Lightning dragon, who had fled with Luna, a Shadow dragon sold into labor in a Lightning-owned factory, to live where no-one would follow them. Much like Muse, this was the Scarred Wasteland.

From there, the legacy of The Strays began.

\--

It wasn't always smooth sailing.

The idea had seemed perfect in her head, having a clan to protect the village, but it didn't work as well in practice. Rosales was the only one besides herself with proper battle training, with the others simply fighting based on instincts... which wasn't always effective. They hardly had much time to train, at that, since a rival clan had been chomping at the bit to steal their territory for months.

Their leader? A slippery Pearlcatcher named Youko. She was cunning, greedy, and willing to do anything to destroy The Strays and take the village, for she had deluded herself into believing a great treasure was buried beneath it. Her mate, a Nocturne named Vigilance, knew of her madness but chose to do nothing. He wasn't maddened like his mate, but certainly a bit of a sadist, and enjoyed the constant fighting that came of the rivalry.

Their fighting force was small, but Muse knew that they couldn't play the defensive forever. Rosales had caught wind of an attack coming soon, and so she hatched a plan to ambush their fighting force. All that needed to be done was ensuring that they did not become alerted to this plan.

At first, it seemed like everything was going as planned. Vigilance, Youko, and a fighting force of six other dragons all headed to the village through the night, but they were unaware that their route was compromised. While outnumbered, the Strays had set a trap that would undoubtedly give them the upper hand.

...but when Muse gave the signal to attack, something went wrong. Youko's group sprang into action immediately, fighting back against The Strays savagely, utterly decimating their forces. Someone had leaked their plan, and alerted the rival clan to the oncoming attack. But who? Who would sabotage them like that?

Injured and pinned under her attackers, Muse looked around... for the one dragon unharmed. Kanon stood proudly, a smug smirk on her face, as Luna wailed with heartbroken and betrayed sobs. Unbeknownst even to her mate, Kanon had always been a part of Youko's clan, and had been working against the entire group from the beginning.

Kanon wasn't completely heartless, however, and she urged Luna to join her, promising safety and happiness they could have never had in The Strays... but she refused. Luna's trust in her former mate had been forever broken, and she fled the moment she could wriggle free.

Now down to only three dragons in their fighting force, Youko gave the order to have Muse, Rosales, and Sirocco all executed. It took quick thinking and strength on Rosales' part to throw his attackers off of him, yelling for Muse and Sirocco to run now that there was a distraction. Muse refused to run away again, but Sirocco did not leave her an option, picking her up and taking to the sky.

Foal's Throat Pass fell into the control of Youko's clan, and The Strays scattered.

\--

Muse had struggled in Sirocco's grip until she eventually fell unconscious due to her injuries. When she awoke, she found herself in a deep cave, Sirocco digging nearby. She was about to snap at him, attack him, or at least snarl and tell him everything he'd ruined by running away... but she paused, feeling wet mud beneath her feet.

This cave was at the base of a gorge called Earthscar Crater, which had once held a river that spanned across the wasteland. Supposedly, the water had run dry long ago, but... when Muse looked over at Sirocco, she found that he had unearthed, of all things... a spring.

Water.

While the guilt of losing Foal's Throat would weigh on Muse for many years, there was hope. There was a chance for something new, and something better than before. As her partner was amusingly blown back by a jet of water, renewing the stream that must have flowed through this cave long ago, she was filled with a sense of hope. She may have lost against Youko, Vigilance, and Kanon... but she wasn't dead. She wasn't about to give up now.

For the duration of the next year and a half... 'The Strays' was just her and Sirocco. The water source stayed small, only filling their cave, and so they managed to keep its existence a secret. This allowed them to go somewhat unnoticed for a time, as they dug out the cave further. They built dens, storage rooms, nesting grounds--everything needed for a clan. This hard work was a conscious yet silent vow to one another that this was not the end of The Strays.

For a time... this partnership between Sirocco and Muse became romantic. It was short lived, however, since while both cared strongly for one another, they were both such emotionally distant dragons by nature, they didn't know how to get that close to another, truthfully.

But... the relationship lasted long enough for one thing to happen. In a world where lifespans are long, and maturity is reached young, having children isn't as much of a big deal. It's less of a life-long commitment, and more of just one spanning several years. However, despite that, Muse and Sirocco took the birth of their first and only child quite seriously.

It was a female, a mirror like her mother. She had Sirocco's brown hide, with the vibrant wings of Muse. They named her Amami, and though their relationship did not last long enough to be a proper family, they still cared for her deeply. She became a physical manifestation of Muse and Sirocco's promise to one another: that their clan would not die.

As she grew, Muse and Sirocco found themselves pressed for a plan. The water source was growing larger, and neighboring clans were taking notice. They were only two dragons and a young hatchling strong--how would they defend their home like this?

Then, like a miracle...

Rosales returned.

\--

Rosales was the first to return. He had been on the run from Vigilance and Youko's group for some time, but he finally managed to escape them for good and find Muse again. He had bowed to her in an overly formal gesture, declaring he was still loyal to her if she would have him. Amused by his formality, but all too happy to have such a strong dragon back at her side, she happily accepted him into the clan.

Next... Luna returned. It was the night of a heavy storm, and the four current members were taking shelter in the nesting grounds, which was the highest cave, for the rest of the lair had flooded. Like a drowned rat, a mass of blue-gray fur dragged itself out of the water and into the cave. At first, Muse readied herself for a fight, before she recognized Luna.

Luna was a tough case, for she had been so deeply bonded with Kanon... but not even someone as hardened by life as Muse could throw her out during a storm like this. She was permitted to stay overnight... but eventually, that turned into a week, then a month... then, in the end, Muse figured she had plenty of opportunities to betray them if she intended to, so there was nothing to fear in letting her back into the clan.

She wasn't alone, however. A village in the Shifting Expanse had just been forcefully taken over by a powerful clan, looking to put a factory in its place. Many of the dragons living there were suddenly and painfully displaced. During her travels, she came across a refugee from that village, who had been wondering for months searching for a new home.

This dragon was a fae named Seirian. Muse found herself thoroughly startled, for she had never met a dragon so hard on himself. His humility was far beyond anything it should be. He apologized profusely for being unable to fight, but he was a skilled researcher who was willing to lend his intellect.

Yes, physical strength was a merit, but Muse knew that endeavors of the mind were not to be dismissed. She gladly welcomed a talented scholar like Seirian into the clan, and he became a brilliant inventor and researcher who would bring feats of technology unseen in the wastelands to Earthscar Lake.

After Luna and Seirian was a new face. A traveling bard from a wealthy city in Rotrock Rim named Ryuuki entered the scene... and by some miracle, he managed to charm Muse. The two had a brief mateship, but when Muse revealed she was expecting his eggs, he disappeared. Muse was more bitter than heartbroken about this, especially since she planned to track him down and maul him for his inability to commit.

She made good on that promise after her first and only son was born, Shiranui. She did not kill him, but she was sure to teach the coward a lesson.

Shiranui and Amami, despite having an age gap of a few years, and being born of different fathers and a distant mother, grew up close. They cared little that they were only half-siblings, thriving in each other's company. Shiranui grew up quiet, taking after Sirocco (who had become like a surrogate father) while Amami was fiery and ambitious, much like her mother.

More dragons settled around their lair, mostly loners, pairs of mates, and smaller clans. Figuring that peace would be the best option, Muse held a meeting with all of the settling dragons. As long as they obeyed her, they would be granted the protection of her clan. Being that very few of them held any intent to betray or revolt against Muse, this seemed like a fairly good deal.

Earthscar Lake (which had been renamed after water filled what was once the crater) became a large settlement, much like Foal's Throat before it. The gorge provided natural protection from invaders, and so the quality of life improved for all.

Despite the reign of peace, however, some things still went awry. The wasteland was a very loosely governed land, so crime ran as freely as the nearby clans would allow. It was inevitable that some less than trustworthy merchants would pass through, peddling bootlegged goods and flawed trinkets.

What nobody expected, however, was to uncover that one of the merchants had actually been involved in the trafficking of live dragons--specifically, their eggs.

Muse was swift and merciless in delivering punishment, confiscating all of his goods. There were four eggs in total. Two from Plague, one from Shadow, and... one that nobody recognized, covered in plated scales. After haphazardly disposing of the sick merchant's body, some of the other residents, mated pairs struggling to have eggs of their own mostly, took the three identifiable eggs... leaving Muse with the last one.

She was conflicted at first. She was not a very motherly dragon in any sense of the term, and two children was already more than she ever pictured herself with, but... just because the egg was strange didn't mean it deserved to be abandoned.

And so, against her better judgement, she brought the egg back to the nesting grounds, and dutifully watched over it until it hatched. She was not with it day and night, but she was constantly checking in on it, tapping into the few maternal instincts she still had within her. She waited with waning patience for the egg to hatch.

...until finally, it did. A nocturne. Muse had only ever seen a few in her life, but she still knew one when she saw it. The hatchling's scales were dull in color, as if she were fading into the nest she hatched from. With that image in mind, Muse named her Fade.

Muse expected her to bond with the other two hatchlings in the clan, but was surprised to find no such thing occurred. Fade had little interest in playing with Amami and Shiranui, instead opting to follow Muse around. It was endearing, sure, but not ideal considering Muse lived a fairly high-risk lifestyle, and not one that could stand to be constantly interrupted by a hatchling getting into trouble.

Luna was in charge of the hatchlings for the most part, and now she certainly had her talons full. One day, she took a walk to clear her head, leaving a confused and startled Rosales in charge for a few hours. On her trip, she flew to one of the few places where the wasteland met the ocean, and enjoyed the serenity of the waves.

...at least, until an injured Coatl washed himself up onto shore.

Getting the wounded dragon home was an ordeal, but when he was finally returned, he was immediately homed into one of the dens. He slipped in and out of consciousness as Muse and Luna struggled to help him. By the few glimpses of his eyes, he was an Ice dragon, not a Plague one, so there were plenty of chances for him to get gravely ill in his weakened state.

In the end, however, he pulled through, introducing himself as Six. He was a battlemage who used to live in the Fortress of Ends as a warden, but was exiled for reasons he would not share. Figuring more strength would never be bad for the clan, Muse extended an invitation, which he gladly accepted.

Muse, for the most part, never quite bought into the propaganda about Nature dragons, and the flight as a whole, but she still felt a bit of uneasiness around them. So when Sirocco returned from a hunting trip with two injured dragons, one of which had the distinct eyes of a Nature dragon, she was just a bit doubtful.

She was a skydancer named Dusk, with black and purple plumage and a razor-sharp tongue. She was young, as well, likely only in her teenage years, and had run away from home in an act of rebellion. It took quite a bit of tongue-lashing from Muse to put her back in her place, but when Dusk revealed her desperation to never return home, the stern leader reluctantly agreed to let her stay.

Accompanying her was an Ice dragon. He was a blue mirror named Varc, and Dusk swore up and down she didn't know him, though he countered by claiming they were traveling buddies. Muse didn't know or care about who was telling the truth, and only what this strange dragon's intentions were.

He wasn't very intelligent, and thus explained himself quite poorly, but Muse did manage to make out a few details. For starters, he was yet another exile, though he was simply thrown out of his pack instead of breaking any sort of laws. Despite his lack of intellect, he was loyal and determined, and so Muse gave him a chance. He was exceptionally useless, but otherwise meant the clan no harm, and so he was allowed to stay.

The last member of the core clan was not one who needed to be found, but one who found them first. She was a grey tundra with a surprising amount of strength and wit. However, her true craft was the art of medicine. She was Plague-born, but believed that learning was the same as evolving. She believed not in allowing nature to take its toll, and to have the 'strongest' come out on top, but in bolstering the strength of those already here, allowing them to evolve as they lived, not in a thousand years down their genetic line.

She simply waltzed into the newborn village and asserted herself. She had a very commanding presence that discouraged anyone from questioning her. She improved the hygiene of the village, opening a bathhouse and cleaning the water supply. She brought ancient medicines and preached about evolving in life, strengthening yourself as you live.

But most of all... she knew Muse. She was another dragon sent to fight a war as a hatchling, and remembered the infamous runaway. When she introduced herself to the leader as Bright, she had no need to hear Muse's response, for she knew who she was instantly.

At first, the two clashed, but over time... Bright settled into the village, improving the quality of life with her sharp mind and radical new ideas about survival. Hatchling mortality rates dropped within a year, the waves of illness that came over Plague clans like weather became shorter lived and more easily beaten. Muse had to swallow her pride to do so, but she welcomed Bright into the clan, admitting respect for her skills.

Twelve members strong, and with countless dragons living in the village they ruled over, The Strays were a powerful force.

\--

The one sharp-tongued villager who had called them all 'strays', and who had inspired the clan's name... well, in the end, he was right. Muse had collected herself a band of rejects, misfits, and outcasts. Really, she was simply collecting strays.

But was that really a bad thing?

Perhaps Sirocco had rubbed off on her too much, but despite her cold and distant nature, she felt deeply protective over the village, and her clan. More strength, more dragons at her side, and more security just meant that Earthscar Lake would not slip between her talons like the ill-fated Foal's Throat Pass.

From a scared hatchling thrust into war, to a fearless and stern leader that governed her clan and her village with loyalty and diligence... Muse was content with herself, and her life. She did not swell with pride, but she lived her life confident and fulfilled.

Pretty impressive for a pack of strays.


End file.
